The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-01-07
MCCLELLAN AND LINCOLN.
A Few Mild CritIcisms-The Appoin
ment Of StantOn-HefOre the War.

A Few Mild Critlcisms-The Appoint.
ment Of stanton-J3efore the War.
Ny relations with Mr.. Lincoln were gen.
orally very pleasant, and seldom had trouble
with him when we could meet face to face.
The difficulty always arose behind my back.
believe that he liked me personally and
certainly he was always much influenced by
mo when we were together. During the
early part of my command in Washington
no often consulted with me before taking
important steps or appointing general off,
GERS.
Hc appointed Hunter major general
without consulting me, and day or two
afterward explained that he did so "because
the people Of Illinois seemed to want some
body to be a sort of father to them, and he
thought Hunter would answer that pur-
pose"
When he appointed az general officers
some Of the released prisoners from the
first Bull Run, he afterward explained to
me that he did 1t as a recompense for their
sufferings, unaware, no doubt, that In other
armies they would have been brought before
some tribunal to explain their capture.
Soon after arriving in Washington the
president one day sent for me to ask my
opinion of Hooker, who was urged for APP
pointment as brigadier general Of volun-
teers, and stated that he wished me to re-
gard the conversation as strictly confiden-
tial. I told him that Hooker had been
good soldier in Mexico, but that common
report stated that he had failed in Califor-
mia, but that had no personal knowledge
Of this, and advised him to consult with
officers who were in California with Hooker.
He, however, gave him the appointment
few days later. Remembering that this con-
versation was sought by the president, and
that he desired me to regard it as confiden-
tial, it wns with no little surprise that I
learned, after Antietam, that Hooker had
been informed of the conversation, except
of its confidential nature, and that it was
sought by the president.
As before stated, when Stanton was made
secretary Of war knew nothing of the mat
ter until the nomination had already gone
to the senate. Next day the president came
to my house to apologize for not consulting
me on the subject. lie said that he knew
Stanton to be a friend Of mine, and as
sumed that l would be glad to have him
secretary of war, and that he feared that if
he told me beforehand ''some of those fell
lows' would say that had dragooned him
into it.
OuCloLy NY oSoOCldUlOl Will U 10 plCSA-
dent was very close until the severe attack
of illness in December, 1861. was often
sent for to attend formal and informal cabi-
net meetings, and at all hours whenever
the president desired to consult with me on
any subject; and he often came to my
house, frequently late at night, to learn the
last news before retiring. His fame as
narrator of anecdotes was fully deserved,
and he always had something apropos on
the spur of the moment.
Long before the war, when vice-president
of the Illinois Central Railroad company,
knew Mr.. Lincoln, for he was one of the
counsel of the company. More than once
l have been with him in out of the way
county seats where some important case
was being tried, and, in the lack of sleeping
Accommodations, have spent the night in
front of the stove listening to the unceasing
flow of anecdotes from his lips. He was
never at a loss, and I could never quite
make up my mind how many of them he
had really heard before and how many he
invented on the spur Of the moment. His
stories were seldom refined, but were al
ways to the point. George B. Nc
Clellan's Book.